Reginald Shepherd
Reginald Shepherd (April 10, 1963 - September 10, 2008) was an African-American poet. Life Shepherd was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx. He graduated from Bennington College in 1988, and received M.F.A.s from Brown University and the University of Iowa, where he attended the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. He subsequently taught at Northern Illinois University and Cornell University. His poetry collections are Some Are Drowning (1994), Angel, Interrupted (1996), Wrong (1999), Otherhood (2003), and Fata Morgana (2007). He is also the author of Orpheus in the Bronx: Essays on identity, politics, and the freedom of poetry (2007) and A Martian Muse: Further Essays on identity, politics, and the freedom of poetry (published posthumously in 2010); and the editor of the Iowa Anthology of New American Poetries (2004) and Lyric Postmodernisms (2008). His work has been widely anthologized, including in 4 editions of The Best American Poetry and 2 Pushcart Prize anthologies. He died of cancer in Penascola, Florida, in 2008. Recognition In his last year at the University of Iowa, Shepherd received the "Discovery" prize from the 92nd Street Y. His debut collection, Some Are Drowning (1994), was chosen by Carolyn Forché for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs' Award in Poetry. Otherhood (2003) was a finalist for the 2004 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. Fata Morgana (2007) won the silver medal of the 2007 Florida Book Awards; His other honors and awards include grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, the Florida Arts Council, and the Guggenheim Foundation. His 2008 book of essays, Orpheus in the Bronx, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism.2008 Awards, All Past National Book Critics Circle Award Winners and Finalists, National Book Critics Circle. Web, Nov. 23, 2015. Publications Poetry *''Some Are Drowning''.Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1994. *''Angel, Interrupted''. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1996. *''The History of His Body''. Normal, IL: Thorngate Road, 1998. *''Wrong''. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1999. *''Otherhood: Poems''. Pittsurgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2003. *''Itinerary: Poems''. Maryville, MO: Green Tower Press, 2006. *''Fata Morgana: Poems''. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007. *''Red Clay Weather'' (edited by Roger Philen). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011. Non-fiction *''Orpheus in the Bronx: Essays on identity, politics, and the freedom of poetry''. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press (Poets on Poetry Series), 2008. *''A Martian Muse: Further readings on identity, politics, and the freedom of poetry'' (edited by Roger Philen). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press (Poets on Poetry Series), 2010. Edited *''The Iowa Anthology of New American Poetries''. Iowas City, IA: University of Iowa Press, 2004. *''Lyric Postmodernisms: An anthology of contemporary innovative poetries''. Denver, CO: Counterpath Press, 2008. Letters *''Song After All: The letters of Reginald Shepherd and Alan Contreras, 2007-2008'' (edited by Roger Philen). Eugene, OR: CraneDance, 2013. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Reginald Shepherd, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center INc. Web, Feb. 15, 2015. See also *African-American poets *List of U.S. poets References External links ;Poems *Reginald Shepherd profile & 6 poems at the Academy of American Poets. *Reginald Shepherd 1963-2008 at the Poetry Foundation. ;Audio / video *Reginald Shepherd at YouTube ;Books *Reginald Shepherd at Amazon.com ;About *Reginald Shepherd 1963-2008 at The Valve * Reginald Shepherd's blog Category:1963 births Category:2008 deaths Category:American poets Category:Bennington College alumni Category:Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni Category:Guggenheim Fellows Category:20th-century poets Category:21st-century poets Category:African American poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets